Top 10 MCU Fates Worse Than Death

Top 10 MCU Fates Worse Than Death

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 MCU Fates Worse Than Death.

For this list, we’ll be looking at potential or actual fates suffered by characters in the MCU that make death seem like a sweet release by comparison.

Did we leave anyone out? Let us know in the comments below.

#10: Trapped for 2 Days with a Potential Bomb

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015)
Wanda and Pietro (PYAY-tro) Maximoff, or Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, were living normal lives in Sokovia when their home was hit by a mortar shell, killing their parents. The twins hid under a bed, and a second mortar shell hit yet did not detonate. The twins were trapped for two days, nervously staring at the Stark Industries shell and hoping it would not explode, thus literally staring at a ticking time bomb for 48 excruciating hours. If all that wasn’t bad enough, the two were recruited by Hydra and subsequently experimented on, granting them each superpowers. The twins agreed to such treatment, all the while not knowing they were being duped and used by Hydra.

#9: Frozen in Ice for Decades

“Captain America: The First Avenger” (2011)
Sure, he’s handsome, heroic, and charming, but Captain America’s fate is somewhat tragic. After courageously fighting Nazis and Hydra, Steve Rogers finds himself in an unfortunate situation. He finds no other recourse but to crash the plane he is flying into the Arctic, ending his life. He says a tearful goodbye to the woman he loves, and crashes. He awakens nearly 70 years later, having been recovered and thawed by S.H.I.E.L.D. Rogers has missed decades, finding himself in a drastically changed world. Despite the multitude of things he must catch up on, Rogers is initially concerned mainly with one thing: the woman he loved in the 1940s is now in her 90s, and on her deathbed.

#8: Life in Prison

“Thor: The Dark World” (2013)
Loki is constantly up to no good. He is the god of mischief after all, among other things. With his crimes come frequent punishments, and possibly the worst of these (in the Marvel Universe anyway) is imprisonment. It may seem tame until you consider that Loki can and most likely will live for thousands of years. Imagine living for century after century in isolation, staring at the walls and praying someone will bring you a book or two, or a thousand. That would be enough to drive anyone insane, and we can only assume Loki is no exception. He already looks quite disheveled in the films, and it hasn’t been that long considering what’s potentially in store.

#7: Thanos Gets What He Wants, But at What Cost?

“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)
In his fight to restore stability to the universe, Thanos had to make great sacrifices as well as overcome countless obstacles. The greatest sacrifice, however, comes in acquiring the Soul Stone. In order to obtain the stone, Thanos must trade the soul of a loved one. In a classic “sacrifice one for the betterment of many” scenario, the Titan throws his treasured adopted daughter Gamora from the cliff. He ultimately gets what he wants, yet the cost is great, and he must live with his decision for the remainder of his days. The amount of anguish that would be felt from such an action is unfathomable.

#6: Stranded in the Quantum Realm

“Ant-Man and the Wasp” (2018)
Janet van Dyne, the original Wasp, found herself in a tight spot when a Soviet missile headed for the United States had to be rapidly disarmed. The only way to do so was to go subatomic and disarm it from the inside. However, as Ant-Man fans know, going subatomic is a one-way street. Much to the chagrin of Hank Pym, Janet sacrificed herself for the lives of thousands. However, Janet did not die in doing so, she simply was sent to the Quantum Realm for eternity. Within the realm, she found herself in contact with new civilizations, yet also had to live a sort of rogue life in order to survive. Janet, at least, got to come back. Yellow-Jacket? Not so much. (xref)

#5: Helplessly Watching the Fall of Asgard

“Thor: Ragnarok” (2017)
There’s a lot going on in “Thor: Ragnarok.” All events culminate in the final battle, at which Asgard is decimated. Thor and his allies cannot do much else than watch the destruction take place at the hands of the enormous, fiery Surtur. It is understood to be a prophesied event. However, this doesn’t make it any more difficult to live through. Despite efforts, the Asgardian world crumbles before its sullen audience. Thor himself is far more resistant to the event until he is visited by the spirit of his father, assuring him that Asgard is not a place but a people. Even so, imagine watching the place you knew and loved your entire life turn to a mere few asteroids.

#4: Spending Eternity as a Human Battery

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” (2017)
Say what you will about Star-Lord, but he is quite naive, and this proves to be his downfall more than once in the MCU. In “Guardians Volume 2,” Peter Quill finds his biological father. But it isn’t the happy reunion he was anticipating. His father happens to be Ego, a celestial being with plans of universal domination. In order to fulfill his deeds, Ego must harness the power to do so and has fathered countless children in the effort to birth a being capable of withstanding the force (it’s complicated.) Unfortunately, enter Peter Quill, whom Ego intends to use as a human battery for the rest of his battery life. Here’s hoping it’s one of those dollar store batteries that doesn’t last too long.

#3: The Winter Soldier’s Mind Control

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014)
Imagine you’re minding your own business, shopping for plums or taking a leisurely walk. A shady character appears and recites a series of words, and you uncontrollably become a robotic killing machine. That’s the gist of Bucky Barnes’ life as the Winter Soldier. He is essentially a tool for Hydra, mindlessly killing targets like a well-programmed kill-bot. Prior to his escape from the evil faction, Bucky is placed in cryogenic stasis in between kills, only to be reanimated when a new target arises. This is definitely a fate worse than death, and Barnes would honestly have been better off dying in that train incident.

#2: Hawkeye’s Internal Trauma

“Avengers: Endgame” (2019)
Thanos’ “snap” was a traumatic shock for anyone left behind. This is well represented in the character of Hawkeye. One moment he is enjoying a day of leisure with his wife and children, the next they are all dust and he is left alone, frantically running about trying to figure out what happened to them. Hawkeye then becomes Ronin, venting his inner anguish on members of Mexican cartels and the Yakuza. Clint Barton is a superhero and is faced with a situation in which rescue is impossible. With no one to blame directly, he mows down the world’s bad guys in a seeming vengeance, living with his inner turmoil all the while.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Time After Time, “Doctor Strange” (2016)
Dormammu Gets Stuck in an Endless Time Loop

Killmonger’s Past, “Black Panther” (2018)
Orphaned & Abandoned by Wakanda

Eternal Abomination, “The Incredible Hulk” (2008)
Emil Blonsky’s Life as a Monster

Nebula’s Torment, “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)
Built & Rebuilt in a Static Trap

#1: Being Servant to an Infinity Stone for Eternity

“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)
It was a surprise to find our old friend Red Skull on Vormir, having been given the unfortunate task of guarding the Soul Stone, should anyone seek it. His fate is far worse than a swift death, as he is seemingly immortal in his position, and his existence is merely for the guardianship of the stone. In fact, he waits for about 70 years before Thanos and Gamora show up. In an alternate timeline, he waits perhaps just as long for Black Widow and Hawkeye. When the sacrifices are made and the Stone is handed over, he is freed. However, when Captain America returns the Stone, he is again a servant to it.